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Hawkeye
DakotaEnthusiast
 
5/05/2001
12:18:49
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 Subject: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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Just wondering if anyone does have one if it lowered the front of the truck any. Just got mine on the other day and it has dropped the front of the truck about a half inch or so. Didn't feel like it was that heavy.
2000 QC Sport 4x4 4.7 Beast
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Ralphp
Dakota Enthusiast
5/05/2001
21:25:54
|  RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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I had a Warn Trans4mer and winch installed on my Dakota and it lowered the front end about 1" after installing it. Thinking about cranking the torsion bars a little bit to help compensate for the weight.
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Hawkeye
DakotaEnthusiast
5/05/2001
21:28:27
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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Message:
Thats exactly what I was thinking of doing. Have you done it yet?
2000 QC Sport 4x4 4.7 Beast
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Ralphp
Dakota Enthusiast
5/06/2001
05:00:01
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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Yes, I had the torsion bars cranked enough (1/2") to allow clearance for 265/75R16 mud tires. I haven't had any problems with it for the past three months except for slight tire rub when trying to turn on very uneven ground. Have been thinking about having it cranked about 1/4" more to stop the rubbing completely. I didn't personally do the adjustment (les Schwab), so I can't tell you the exact process. It only took them about 15 minutes to do it, though.
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Hawkeye
DakotaEnthusiast
5/06/2001
07:09:16
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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Message:
I know how to do it, was just wondering if your ride quality was affected very much by the half inch adjustment. I have 32's on mine stock with no rubbing I just wanted the height back, especially under the front bumper.
2000 QC Sport 4x4 4.7 Beast
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Ralphp
Dakota Enthusiast
5/06/2001
15:00:25
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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Message:
Actually, I have not noticed any change in the stiffness of the ride since the front was raised. It also hasn't seemed to affect front tire wear either,at least so far.
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Glen
GenIII
5/08/2001
18:09:25
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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Message:
Hmm, i've been thinking of doing this my self, the front seems to sag a little, and i wanted to run a hair bigger tires. But im a little unsure as how to crank them. If you could shed some light on my situation, it'd help alot. Any tips would be very help full. Thanks
'01, CC, SLT, 4.7, Auto, 3.55 LS
Gibson single catback. Z-tube
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Hawkeye
DakotaEnthusiast
5/12/2001
14:38:03
|  RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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Message:
Just raised my torsion bars today. Have to say WOW! What a difference. I don't think mine were adjusted right from the factory after comparing with a few others truck measurments. One side was a half inch lower than the other and the entire truck was a half inch or so lower at the same measuring points as other guys trucks. Truck was always taking a nose dive even before the grill guard. Raised it 3/4 of an inch on the drivers side and 1 1/2 on the passenger side. Truck now sits level from side to side and front to back. No adverse ride change either. Actually improved a bit. Front end doesn't bounce like it did before over bumps before. Still have a good bit of adjustment room left too. Took about 10 minutes to do. I loved my truck before but now its just down right mean!!
2000 QC Sport 4x4 4.7 Beast
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Glen
GenIII
5/12/2001
16:12:08
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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NICE!, Well, guess what im doing when i get home. Mine seems to sag from the factory too, so i bet this would help alot. Thanks for the info.
'01, CC, SLT, 4.7, Auto, 3.55 LS
Gibson single catback. Z-tube
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Doug
GenIII
5/14/2001
00:23:08
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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Message:
don't forget to take into consideration your min and max dimensions from the center of the front wheel to the ground and the center of the lower suspension arm to ground; for 99 the difference after subtracting the latter from the first is 1.85 in. + or - 0.125 in. this is what the shop manual states.
Doug
99 Dakota Sport, 4X4, Auto, 3.9
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Hawkeye
Unregistered
JOIN HERE
5/14/2001
07:16:49
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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Message:
Doug, Good point. I didn't mention that, but most of the guys I'm comparing mine against are 2000's also. A couple of 99's just for good measure. Even backed them down a 1/4 inch yesterday. Truck rides so much better now than before I raised the bars. Looks a hundred percent better too. I honestly believe mine were not set right from the factory and then the slight weight of my grill guard lowered it even more. Everybody elses had the same measure mentes except for mine. And, like I said earlier, I still have plenty of thread left on the adjustment bolts.
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99DurangoV8
Unregistered
JOIN HERE
5/18/2001
12:39:15
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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So how do you adjust the torsion bars(crank them up)?
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Hawkeye
Dakota Enthusiast
5/18/2001
14:10:45
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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Message:
At the end of the bars, about where your front doors are, there is an adjustment bolt ont each side. You just turn that bolt. Clockwise to raise, and counterclockwise to lower. Do it in small increments and bounce the front end a little in between to let the bars move.
Mean Green Dak Machine - Experience the POWER!
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Doug
Unregistered
JOIN HERE
5/18/2001
14:22:24
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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always adjust up not down, if you take it down go lower than you need bounce it than adjust up.
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Hawkeye
Dakota Enthusiast
5/18/2001
15:21:18
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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Yeah, forgot to mention that.
Mean Green Dak Machine - Experience the POWER!
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99DurangoV8
Unregistered
JOIN HERE
5/18/2001
20:26:51
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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Message:
Thanks but you mention clockwise for up, is the front of the truck the 12 o'clock position?
What does this do to the camber/caster? I don't want the Ford twin I-beam look with wheels jacked out at a 45 deg angle (I'm exagerating) but you know what I mean?
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Hawkeye
Dakota Enthusiast
5/18/2001
21:00:19
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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Message:
Laying on your back under the truck with your feet towards the front looking up at the bolts, turn the clockwise to raise. You can look at the threads and tell which way to turn them also. You would have to crank the all the way to max to start getting that look. A half inch to an inch isn't going to change the camber. I am getting an alignment done even though I'm not sure it really needs it, for $40 it cant hurt.
Mean Green Dak Machine - Experience the POWER!
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99DurangoV8
Unregistered
JOIN HERE
5/19/2001
14:14:42
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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Thanks, 12 o'clock is to the rear. I need a front end alignment anyway, wanders to the right if I let go.
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andrew
Unregistered
JOIN HERE
5/19/2001
14:15:16
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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Is there any way to tell if the torsion bars were cranked by a previous owner? I bought a 93 4x4 from someone that was used and I dont know if the previous owner cranked them up already.
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Doug
Unregistered
JOIN HERE
5/20/2001
02:38:16
| RE: Anyone have a grill guard on a 97 & up Dak?
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see my post dated 5/14, check for specs for 93.
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